Narbonne’s Tori Breshers was a member of last year’s team that lost in the City championship game to Carson.But this time around they are looking to finally get the title.Photo by Ken Brooks.

Fairfax lost to Narbonne by only three points earlier this season. Danah Haley (above) will be looking to get on the winning side of that battle if the two teams meet in the City championship game. Photo by Jason Lewis

Narbonne is the team to beat, but Fairfax will be looking for a rematch in the championship game from an early season loss.

If last summer’s description of Narbonne girls basketball (23-6) (11-0) had held true, the general complexion of City Section basketball would have descended at least on more notch. Apparently it was not bad enough that the Lady Gauchos had been knocked out in the last two City title games by Carson. The forecast preceding the 2011-12 season had become extremely bleak based on their inexperience, youth, and performance.

In fact, the perennial powerhouse’s reputation had plummeted to a new low after losing four impact players including two All-City seniors. The only direction the program could have gone was up. Head coach Victoria Sanders reflected on the candid sentiments randomly expressed about her unseasoned squad.

“We heard people saying, ‘we can beat Narbonne,’ ‘they’re garbage,’ Sanders said. “But we looked bad. It was ugly and our JV was just as bad.”

Sanders had gone from winning the section title in her first year at the helm to a point when the coaching staff estimated that this would be a .500 season at best. Then Sanders got a look at the section’s elite at the L.A. City Showcase during which Narbonne squeezed out a 3-point win over Fairfax for the tournament championship. Afterwards, Sanders found herself thinking, “This is a rebuilding year, but we might mess around and win the City.“

They have messed around and done pretty well so far. The experience and growth which included playing a strong non-league schedule, eventually paid off to the tune of another No. 1 playoff seed. Along the way they captured their third league title in four years under Sanders. Narbonne has separated itself by leaps and bounds from the rest of the Marine League, which was exposed for its severe lack of competition (the league lost former Washington coach Ricky Blackmon and former Carson coach Marcel Saunders).

The Gauchos did not merely improve enough to earn an unblemished league record, but they easily waltzed through the league and maintained an absurd 47-point average margin of victory. The Sentinel asked, is this a testament to Narbonne’s superiority or a statement against the quality of the league? Sanders response was “It’s the coaching. I’m not patting myself on the back. My staff and the girls worked hard to be where we are. We came a long way. Now the JV is winning by 20 and 30 points too.”

The team’s challenge ultimately shifted from avoiding a sub par season to avoiding complacency during the lopsided games that were not exactly 32 minutes of motivation. “I have to stay on them. Even the players were saying it’s hard to stay focused (when the opponent cannot score),” Sanders added.

It was also challenging for the coach to gauge how prepared they were for the post season, given their easy schedule. “Honestly, I think it hurt us more than it helped us“, she said. “We only have two players (Kim Pickett and Tori Breshers) who really know what the playoffs are about, and they are determined this year.”

Before the playoffs, Narbonne’s last challenge had been a non-league win over Bakersfield Ridgeview three weeks before the season ended. Ready or not the waltzing party’s over. The real competition is in the big dance where they do the Hustle and the Running Man. Despite any concerns, Sanders remains confident about the their chances. Yet she is not looking past any team, especially the top seeds: Fairfax, El Camino Real, Taft, and Carson. Van Nuys was seeded as the Gauchos first playoff opponent.

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